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1 AUGUST THE FOURTH TILL FOUR O'CLOCK The early part of the next week brought an answer to Cytherea's last note of hope in the way of advertisement--not from a distance of hundreds of miles, London, Scotland, Ireland, the Continent--as Cytherea see with the hbourhood of that in which she was living--a country mansion not twenty ust 3, 1864
'Miss Aldclyffe is in want of a young person as lady's-ht Miss Aldclyffe will be in Budmouth on Thursday, when (should G still not have heard of a place) she would like to see her at the Belvedere Hotel, Esplanade, at four o'clock No answer need be returned to this note' A little earlier than the time named, Cytherea, clothed in a modest bonnet, and a black silk jacket, turned down to the hotel
Expectation, the fresh air fro outlook, raised the most delicate of pink colours to her cheeks, and restored to her tread a portion of that elasticity which her past troubles, and thoughts of Edward, had well-nigh taken away
She entered the vestibule, and went to theof the bar
'Is Miss Aldclyffe here?' she said to a nicely-dressed bar to a landlady covered with chains, knobs, and claround
'No, she isn't,' said the barmaid, not very civilly Cytherea looked a shade too pretty for a plain dresser
'Miss Aldclyffe is expected here,' the landlady said to a third person, out of sight, in the tone of one who had known for several days the fact newly discovered from Cytherea 'Get ready her rooiven and taken, it seemed to Cytherea that Miss Aldclyffe must be a woman of considerable importance
'You are to have an intervieith Miss Aldclyffe here?' the landlady inquired
'Yes' 'The young person had better wait,' continued the landlady With a htly divined that Cytherea would bring no profit to the house
Cytherea was shown into a nondescript cha, which appeared to be either bedroom or dayroom, as occasion necessitated, and was one of a suite at the end of the first-floor corridor The prevailing colour of the walls, curtains, carpet, and coverings of furniture, wasfro on a wide roof of new slates--the only object the s paleness But underneath the door, coleamed an infinitesimally small, yet very powerful, fraction of contrast--a very thin line of ruddy light, showing that the sun bea The line of radiance was the only cheering thing visible in the place